
Lawmakers React to CPS Board Resignations, New Appointments
Clip: 10/7/2024 | 13m 39sVideo has Closed Captions
All seven members of the Chicago Board of Education announced they'd be stepping down.
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday announced six new appointees for the Chicago Board of Education, just days after the full board announced its resignation.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Chicago Tonight is a local public television program presented by WTTW
WTTW video streaming support provided by members and sponsors.

Lawmakers React to CPS Board Resignations, New Appointments
Clip: 10/7/2024 | 13m 39sVideo has Closed Captions
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday announced six new appointees for the Chicago Board of Education, just days after the full board announced its resignation.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
How to Watch Chicago Tonight
Chicago Tonight is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.

WTTW News Explains
In this Emmy Award-winning series, WTTW News tackles your questions — big and small — about life in the Chicago area. Our video animations guide you through local government, city history, public utilities and everything in between.Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship>> as we've been discussing, all 7 members of the Chicago Board of Education resigned on Friday, just 14 months after taking on the job.
And Mayor Brandon in the Senate.
>> We're going to build a world-class school district.
You will, because the vision of the state is cool is to leave our children behind fire teachers, fire teachers, assistance, fire, custodial workers, fire nurses, that is their vision.
My vision.
Is about building a system that works for everyone.
Imagine our schools down a pathway of new Discovery.
>> And as Heather and match just reported, this news follows growing tensions between the mayor and CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and the school boards in action on removing Martinez from the position.
Joining us with much more about this are Alderman Bill Conway of the 34th Ward, State representative and Williams of Chicago, 6th Ward Alderman William Hall and 25th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez.
Thank you all for joining us here.
A lot to cover mayor.
Johnson says his priority is ensuring stability on the board and sand that as we mentioned, that new hybrid elected appointed board taking over in January.
Alderman Hall.
Do you have any concerns that replacing the board as they're facing down this budget crunch as negotiations are ongoing, might not contribute to I think what will make instability worse is when people jobs this holiday season.
>> I think what will make instability worse and our neighborhoods, people not have an opportunity to make sure that the children have a decent Christmas.
And so for this board to sit there and say, hey, I don't want to participate in the loss of jobs in the back and forth between Pedro in his pandering in the public.
And so I think what we're witnessing right now is the mayor calling time out and doing his job is his job to make sure we have the best schools in the country.
And so if you want to call a timeout, let them into his job.
If he doesn't, then what we say months later when we lose jobs for people need jobs in the times that >> Well, in this conflict between, you know, the mayor and CEO Martinez has been, you know, pretty well out in public view lately.
Alderman Conway, do you expect the new appointees to to fire martinus on that?
It's been a it's been a stunning turn of events in the sense of the of board of Ed that was >> pushed out for not being willing to fire a fiscally responsible CEO.
And now presumably he's replace that board with his loyalists who will probably likely fire that CEO and take out the high interest loan that that he wants and frankly, in this city we've made so many fiscally irresponsible decisions we can't afford to make another one, which is why this is especially during a contract negotiation, such a terrible idea and terrible timing.
But what of that idea that, you know, without making some changes, folks could be facing down, you know, job losses.
We district.
We've spent a lot of time as a city kicking the can down the road here and to do that for a high interest loan, just seemingly doesn't make sense.
But because of all this chaos, we don't really have clear visibility into the books of the Chicago Public schools.
And that's why need to really look at and see how we can run.
This district is officially as we I think that, you know, sounds like high interest loans and emergency this that another listen.
This is what we call a job saving package.
We don't do this.
What do you say to those who lose jobs and again, at the end of the day, I'm listening for the alternative.
Pedro.
>> Pedro is yet to produce a plan that saves jobs and the times with inflation sky, we've got wars going on in the Middle instability in Washington, D.C., so say that to 1200 people.
This potential holiday season lose their jobs that we will bypass.
And we talk about swiping a credit card.
This is a good job saving decision that we don't even know yet.
Who says it is going to be this route again, political pandering and playing on fears is a tactic that we see Unfortunately, Republicans do as well.
>> Well, and you know, Representative Williams, he said shouldn't be any big decisions about the future of CPS until the new board is in place in January.
What are your concerns?
>> Well, since Friday, I've heard from so many constituents who are concerned about what happened with the board resigning en masse.
And yes, the mayor has the authority to appoint until vacancies, but they want to know what happened.
What were the decisions that were made that led us to this point that we lost the board in one fell swoop and more importantly, they want to know how we're going to move forward in a way that stable and minimizes disruptions for the Chicago Public Lopez.
How do you feel about the you know, the way this has played out the process in terms of determining who the new appointees to the board should when the like 7% of Williams mentioned, I think is important to know where what what is going from >> There's this cause the management of partners.
He'll violence in public schools, someone who issue toxic swaps 66666 million dollars in debt.
>> We have not paid to Wall Street.
That's where Wall Street is talking about in honor into that 1.5 billion dollars in debt from some of run for office.
Also things important to know how we got to point and they under funded and that all mentions.
I mean, very clear was an enduring board to begin with.
They would do a join statement.
These board what's got one more session left.
I think the do the right thing to do by allowing the next board.
I'm elected school board.
The Mayor Johnson tonight competing directly things clear because the press is that we have a very different because someone who was son of a public school teacher.
Simon, you know, majority of her students are Latino and black students who because 3,500 cuts for social workers for teachers, for people who need urgent need have direct impact in communities like I do think that is important again.
And I would be cautioned the state even think about with Ron or the 2015 is why would bother?
My whole said 20 take over majority.
Latino Black District I don't think is deeply offensive.
And again, I think is very important that we talk about how we got here.
This solution isolating the unit the November 3% of state income tax for millionaires making 1 million dollars so that we can be a property.
That's just of the solution say I don't disagree with Almond 6, a Lopez, our city clearly has a bad fiscal problem.
And that's exactly the reason why we can't proceed to take out another high interest loan and kick this can further down the road will.
And how about that question of of state oversight?
Representative Williams, what should the state's role be in all this should have won?
Well, first of all, no one said anything about a state takeover except a few of the mayor's allies that's never been suggested.
>> What we have done in the past are things that were like the CTA backed proposal that would provide that there were to be no major changes in school closures until the board was in place.
Likewise, this past session, thus of the Illinois House passed a bill to say no major overhaul.
The selective enrollment process until there is a partially elected board that does not seem unreasonable.
I was also an advocate for the fully elected board and we are moving in the direction of democracy.
This conversation isn't about that.
This is about accountability and communication and that's what voters need to respond to that because is a kind of ability, do think that we have an elected school board that is going to start people should continue to participate.
Parents, people from many teachers.
>> Because that's about accountability.
Something that Mayor Johnson even got arrested for south to some of scent.
to their kids public school.
Someone comes from the classroom like some of us who left the classroom.
Because of responsible decision of the best I do think is important about accountability.
The mayor is just coming up are too nutty and the city council to start cleaning up the mess that up because of station's done.
I do think is responsible to allow transition plan.
woman says I'm glad they're going take the plan because that's what I heard.
And I'm glad that we have given that up I want to mention as well.
You know, we got a statement this afternoon from see to President Stacy Davis, Gates, who said Chicago elected a mayor who promised to transform our school district to break with the failed cuts closings and furloughs of the past.
>> The Chicago teachers union looks forward to collaborating with the new board members to enact the transformation of our public schools that our students and educators need and deserve Alderman Hall.
Do you think that the previous board that the mayor appointed wasn't living up to that vision of transformation thing at the end of the day right now with this board was facing was a failed plan by Pedro, which procrastinated.
Yeah, you have to produce a plan.
>> Again as a son of the educated you sit in the back of Harlan said the back of South Shore again teaches of already sacrificed to the best of the ability you have teachers pay for schools to place a crisis because was trying to rob Peter to pay Paul to make sure the kids have access our walk through the hallways with a drill 2 weeks ago in which 40 year La Cruz was still malfunctioning in schools.
So again, with this board did not want to be responsible along with the mayor is for the 1200 job cuts on the horizon with Angels pandering plan.
>> Alderman Conway, you are among 41 older people who you know is signed on to an open letter calling on the mayor to hold a hearing before he announced any new pics and he responded by saying, you know, he's the one who has the ultimate authority under state law to appoint board members.
What do you hearing, you know, could have accomplished?
Well, I think what >> the mayor needs understand is that he, along with my 2 colleagues here are really on an island.
What we've seen from this administration is really just a lot of failed leadership, of course, especially over the last month from firing.
Is it a team to being rebuffed on the shot spotter votes to pushing back the budget presentation as well everything involving involving CPS.
And it's unfortunate to see that that lack of leadership.
I hope that he will eventually wake up and begin to leave the city respond is important to respond directly.
And got out of the Congolese have because I think what we have and city council these.
>> we had and 80's right is a had to.
29 kind leases to daisha nothing to trying to resurrect.
I think I called my all Conway agrees a majority of the city don't think the mayor has to come up with solutions.
I think that it like you just mentioned posing the mayor every turn even went on issue like these and injuring board.
But it's transitioned.
Are that the school board?
So unlike ultimate calm way, you know, most understand the community like ours will be heard directly.
But is this you things important that these new bird on it?
2029 that is a majority majority of of politics.
People who don't count.
>> It's taken joining us on solutions.
And I do think it's important.
my public talks was a solution people on the ground.
But, you know, I'm not willing to take in terms of that in terms of what the for those 41 people, they are ready to collaborate with this mayor.
He's going out of his way.
>> To do apparent.
It's a hurdle at 29 yards by the Council of my colleagues.
Do you think it is meant to be purely obstructionist in the way that the fertility 29 was or is this merely the council asserting the power the the cows of because I know the cause of have as many here is as we like to half.
>> But they might and pass.
They'll 40 and responsibly to appoint his members.
I think again, what we just talking his obstruction, officer, little truck shuns and distractions from the real issues, which is coming for me.
>> And I'm like to hear from all the state about 40 funded schools.
I would like to hear from Michael Vick's responsible solutions to address the we have.
2000 kids with calf don't have transportation to get to school.
We don't have the same luxury as Alderman Conway, the to come from an affluent family who the means to do it.
We don't do Where is the plane?
Again?
We have not seen a plan say jobs be make campuses investments that allow children to compete again.
Kids in Evanston live in a whole different world than kids.
Let's go back now.
Hallway, the hallways Edition.
remember, we have to take kids up to the other parts of south the shoreline to show them that these are campuses that you deserve and why are we fighting to keep kids from having campuses access to resources and the personnel needed to give them a five-star education and poor and black and brown neighborhoods.
What what's missing?
I think in this conversation tonight and I didn't hear in the press conference today.
>> is an acknowledgement that what happened on Friday with the board resigning en masse with no explanation is a crisis.
It's a crisis of leadership for the Chicago public school Mitchell and constituents.
Schools want in just a few inches tall and kids game what constituents have expressed concern and fear what we need to do pull together those 41 alderman and others have the conversation about how we can build consensus.
>> That is leading organization leading to lockout leak has been consistent with his fiscal could again to our credit woman, Jeanette Taylor has brought down CPS on many occasions to address this question.
Yeah, you have to produce a plan to save jobs, produce resources and make sure that we asked our schools in which he did For the first time you have a mayor that has 3 kids in public schools.
So the first board members are kids because his kids experiences are important to him as a parent.
any pair that has kids in public schools would do anything they can to make sure that the kids can compete.
It just so happens to be a black mayor who's doing whatever you can do to make sure that every kid can compete.
And that was the concern a concern with 50 schools got close.
What and for developing this, that investing in kids.
Nobody was concerned I'm thinking maybe all setback and allowed for the first time.
People got to say that enough is enough.
Let's invest in black and brown neighborhoods.
So the kids up and said I hate to interrupt, but we are running out of time.
We could talk about this for probably another half >> But I really appreciate you
Johnson Makes New Board of Education Appointments
Video has Closed Captions
Clip: 10/7/2024 | 6m 35s | The announcement comes days after the full board abruptly announced plans to resign. (6m 35s)
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship
- News and Public Affairs

Top journalists deliver compelling original analysis of the hour's headlines.

- News and Public Affairs

FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains and changes our world.












Support for PBS provided by:
Chicago Tonight is a local public television program presented by WTTW
WTTW video streaming support provided by members and sponsors.
